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12-02-2014, 07:19 PM | #1 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 3
| ACL Injury My dog busted his knee on Thanksgiving. He is scheduled for Lateral Suture surgery on Saturday. He has an enlarged heart and evidenced a collapsed trachea after being neutered so I have concerns. He is not overweight and is otherwise healthy and active. I've read that sometimes ACL injuries in small dogs heal on their own, but the surgeons are not forthcoming with scientific evidence. Has anyone's dog recuperated from such an injury without invasive surgery? |
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12-02-2014, 08:58 PM | #3 |
T. Bumpkins & Co. Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New England
Posts: 9,816
| They don't do that well with full tears without surgery. My dog was 11.5 when he tore his and he had surgery. Walks perfect and is now 14. Good luck.
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12-04-2014, 06:57 AM | #4 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 3
| Lateral Suture, Tightrope or TOPL Technique @107barney: Thank you very much for your reply. What type of surgery did you choose for your dog? I've gone to different surgeons and have several techniques recommended, including TOPL, Tightrope, and Lateral Suture. My dog is very active and chases everything. |
12-04-2014, 08:11 AM | #5 |
Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator | You are an awesome dog parent for researching all these options for your kiddo . I hope you're able to repair everything safely and that it goes smoothly. I know how scary surgeries are even for the healthiest kiddo, so my heart goes out to you in terms of having these add'l health concerns. Hoping for the very best for you!
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° |
12-04-2014, 09:33 AM | #6 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Texas
Posts: 1,921
| Mine had TPLO surgery in April 2013 and is doing fantastic. Some will not recommend TPLO on smaller dogs, but a very experienced surgeon can get great results with it. I have no experience with the other procedures and therefore cannot comment on them. Mine was diagnosed due to the limp and the way that the surgeon was able to manipulate the knee. The joint had too much play in it when manipulated in a certain way. Cartilage does not show up on x-ray, but an x-ray did show that the tibia and fibula were not lined up under the femur the way that they should be, which was another indication of an ACL/CCL tear. In addition to this, she also had luxating patella (which puts a pup at greater risk for tearing the ligament) which was also corrected at the time of surgery. When they did the surgery, the pictures from the arthroscope showed that Jezebel's injury was a partial tear, not complete. It looked like a rope where several strands had broken and the loose ends were floating free in the synovial fluid. Would it be necessary to repair if it's only a partial tear? IMO, that's a big risk to take. Before injury, her knee was already unsteady due to the luxating patella. Once it tears, even partially, the knee becomes more squirelly and unsteady, even if just a bit. Sure, we could probably rest it and get the swelling down and be OK for a bit, but IMO unless I could restrict her for the rest of her life (what fun is that for a dog?) that is too large of a risk. She was now at a point where the risk of further injury was even higher, and even if that didn't happen, with the more unstable knee there would be still more wear on the meniscus. When the meniscus is gone, the dog has no cushioning in the knee and is bone on bone and lame. I know this first hand because many years ago I had a Yorkie that starting holding up one of her hind legs and I took her to the vet to get it checked. The vet said that it was a torn ligament and said to rest it. He never mentioned surgery, I didn't know that was an option and perhaps it wasn't back then, I don't know when these surgical techniques became available. She was lame within about 6 months after the injury, and with now knowing there are ways to prevent that sort of outcome I will crawl over broken glass to be sure it never happens to one of mine again. She was in pain every time she walked. That being said, I certainly hope that your surgeon is board certified. If not, I would try to get into see one for a second opinion even if it mean postponing the surgery a few days. I have seen a handful of cases here on YT where the regular vet said it was a torn ligament that required surgery, but the orthopedic specialist did an exam and said that is was not and no surgery was required. My regular vet diagnosed Jezebel with grade 4 LP (at that point she had never shown ANY outward signs) in both knees and the specialist said that it was only grade 2. I don't want to hold out false hope, but if there is even the slightest possibility that the ligament isn't torn I would try to find out. So I hope you have seen and are using a board certified orthopedic surgeon. They are more experienced in the diagnosis and surgery. Like I said, I don't know about the other two surgical procedures, but TPLO requires very precise measurements to make the cut in tibia in the right place (which is different for each dog, depending on their anatomy) and to shift the cut piece of bone at a very precise angle to stabilize the joint. Regular vets don't do nearly the number of repairs and the experience/equipment for TPLO. A specialist will also have more experience with anesthesia for dogs with other issues, like CT or an enlarged heart. You pup will have to stay overnight after the surgery, and a specialist will be more likely to have around the clock care during the night. Good luck. I hope you have all the right information at your disposal so that you can make the right decision for your pup.
__________________ Life is merrier with a Yorkshire Terrier! Jezebel & Chuy ... RIP: Barkley Loosie & Sassy |
12-04-2014, 09:45 AM | #7 | |
T. Bumpkins & Co. Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New England
Posts: 9,816
| Quote:
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...eks-later.html http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...-recovery.html
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